<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Blood Sugar by Sunnybone</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27770545">Blood Sugar</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunnybone/pseuds/Sunnybone'>Sunnybone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>College AU, Comedy, F/F, M/M, Modern AU, Multi, background claurenz, background hildamari, background sylvix, don't worry Mercie dresses Annette, halloween party</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:15:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,012</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27770545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunnybone/pseuds/Sunnybone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Speculation over Annette's costume for the Halloween party leads to Lysithea protesting the very idea of Annette being "sexy". Annette takes this as a challenge.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annette Fantine Dominic/Lysithea von Ordelia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Blood Sugar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/LV2NT/gifts">LV2NT</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Almost December, you say? Past time for a Halloween fic, you say? I cover my ears and hand you Lysinette Halloween Party shenanigans inspired by <a href="https://twitter.com/lv2nt/status/1322728386884739072">this gorgeous art</a> drawn by <a href="https://twitter.com/lv2nt">@lv2nt</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Not that I don’t trust your brilliant plan,” Sylvain says, causing Claude to smile around his straw, “but I have to live with Felix, who has tacitly forbidden me from meddling in Annette’s love life. I mean, we know how Lysithea feels,” and he smiles because they <em>all</em> know because she’s <em>obvious</em>, “but are we even sure Annette is into her?”</p>
<p>Claude looks thoughtful for a second, but Hilda just rolls her eyes with an extra loud sip of her drink, straw bubbling in the last bit of coffee over her ice. “She totally is.”</p>
<p>Sylvain looks at her skeptically, because he might hang out with Hilda a lot through their mutual friendship with Claude, but he’s barely seen Hilda and Annette interact. Their degree paths are pretty different, and Hilda’s a lot more of a social butterfly while Annette is more of a hit-the-books type. Hilda looks at Sylvain and gives him an unladylike snort.</p>
<p>“Show of hands, who here has actually dated Annette before?” she says, lifting one hand and wiggling her perfectly manicured nails. “Just me? Imagine. So,” she brings her hand back down to rest her chin in it, “she’s totally into Lysithea.” She holds her cup out to Sylvain. “Be a sweetheart and get me a refill?”</p>
<p>Claude laughs even as Sylvain takes the cup.</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>"And don't worry, I invited your little crush, too," Hilda says as she informs Lysithea of the Halloween party she's hosting at her apartment, and Lysithea wants to throttle her. <em>Yes</em>, Annette is objectively pretty, and Lysithea won't deny it because she's not one to deny facts. And <em>yes</em>, Annette is frustratingly smart and works <em>almost, maybe</em>, as hard as Lysithea does, which is impressive. But no matter how many times Lysithea has insisted that she and Annette are <em>academic rivals</em> and that she is <em>absolutely not attracted to her</em>, her friends won't let it drop.</p>
<p>Sylvain had once tried to explain that the more she protested, the more fun her friends had teasing her, but he's friends with Claude so it wasn't like Lysithea was going to trust <em>his</em> advice.</p>
<p>"I couldn't possibly imagine who you mean, since I <em>don't </em>have a crush on <em>anyone</em>," Lysithea says instead of throttling Hilda, her nose up, and Hilda snickers.</p>
<p>"If you say so, Lys. Oh, by the way, I know you're <em>super</em> picky about your sweets, so shoot Lorenz a text about what you want from that bakery you like? He offered to pick up cakes and stuff for the party, so throw in something for Annette, too; I'm sure you know what she likes."</p>
<p>Lysithea grumbles, but she <em>does</em> send Lorenz a text with very specific instructions about the white chocolate matcha roll cake and the five layer chocolate with ganache...and an apple crumb cake for Annette.</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>Annette is a little bit stumped.</p>
<p>It isn't like she's never been to a costume party before—she <em>loves</em> costume parties! She's just never been to one in <em>college</em>; Annette has <em>seen</em> Legally Blonde, and she is too paranoid about showing up to a normal college party dressed like Fiona from Shrek to have accepted any of the (admittedly few) invitations. </p>
<p><em>But</em>! This is a party that Felix will be attending, and he wouldn't let her get pranked like that. Of course, they could <em>both</em> be getting pranked, but on one hand it would be pretty stupid to piss off Felix, who can be a mean little gremlin if provoked, and on the other hand Annette doesn't think Sylvain would help Hilda and Claude prank his boyfriend.</p>
<p>So, the party is probably legit, which means Annette needs a costume. </p>
<p>The problem is that Annette isn’t sure what to go as; she doesn’t want to do anything too childish or cutesy at her first ‘grown up’ costume party. Also, it’s <em>Hilda’s</em> party, which means she <em>can’t</em> wear any of her old costumes, even if they still fit—all of her high school costumes were couples costumes with Hilda, and that would be <em>so</em> embarrassing. </p>
<p>Also, Hilda had made a point of warning Annette that Lysithea would be at the party. Annette still isn’t sure why; they’ve been academic rivals of a sort since practically middle school, but it’s not like they’re <em>enemies</em> or something. They get along really well, actually! Lysithea has a real competitive streak, though, and maybe she’s planning on beating Annette in the costume contest. Is there even a costume contest to win? Annette has no idea, but it’s not like she’s going to lie down and lose!</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>“He’s really going all out, but, he wouldn’t be Lorenz if he didn’t,” Claude says as they sit around the coffee table in Hilda’s living room, watching her dig through one of her craft boxes.</p>
<p>“Then it’s a good thing you came to me, because Lorenz wouldn’t dare whine about my craftsmanship,” she says, pulling a little ziplock bag of Swarovski crystal beads from the box.</p>
<p>“Because you’re the best,” Sylvain says, and Felix snorts next to him on the couch. “Think I could convince you to make something for our costumes?”</p>
<p>“That depends,” Hilda says, unspooling gold wire. “How big and complicated is it? I still have Marianne’s wings and Lysithea’s hat to embellish.”</p>
<p>“A cat collar, maybe?” Sylvain says, before grunting as Felix just barely elbows him without even looking up from the rhythm game on his phone. Sylvain turns to look at Felix, leaning in to kiss him noisily on the cheek, and Hilda makes an exaggerated gagging noise.</p>
<p>For the most part, Lysithea is ignoring her friends’ planning; she’s already got her costume taken care of, because Hilda had insisted on making all of her accessories as soon as Lysithea said she was going to be a witch. She’s reading through a chapter in one of her textbooks, because <em>she</em> doesn’t waste time or procrastinate the way her friends do, and she’s only really half-listening to their banter. Still, her attention catches and shifts when Claude says, “So Annette’s costume is a secret, then?"</p>
<p>Felix grunts noncommittally, still tapping away at his phone screen, Sylvain’s arm slung across the back of the couch behind him. “She hasn’t said yet.”</p>
<p>“Any idea what she’ll go as, Hil?” Claude asks, and Hilda hums, focused on the earring she’s crafting.</p>
<p>“I dunno, she could go as anything. Maybe something cute; she was a <em>really</em> cute Big Bad Wolf the year I was Red Riding Hood?”</p>
<p>Sylvain chuckles, “Yeah, but that was high school. She’s a big girl now, maybe she’ll go big and wear a sexy costume.”</p>
<p>Lysithea freezes at the idea of Annette wearing anything that someone like <em>Sylvain</em> might consider <em>sexy</em>, and she can’t pinpoint the nature of the emotion the thought causes. In fact, she outright rejects examining it by slapping her textbook shut with a resounding snap of pages, and the attention in the room (minus Felix, still playing) moves to her.</p>
<p>“Annette Fantine Dominic,” Lysithea announces, “<em>is</em> <em>not</em> <em>sexy</em>!”</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>"You haven't decided on a costume yet, have you?" Sylvain says with a tilt to his smile when Annette casually asks about his costume in the middle of a study session.</p>
<p>"Uh, I <em>absolutely</em> have, and it's totally awesome! I'm just keeping it secret so nobody steals the idea." Nailed it.</p>
<p>Sylvain replies with an exaggerated, drawn out 'ohhh', and a facial expression even Annette can read as sarcastic.</p>
<p>"Well, what <em>are</em> you and Felix going as?" she asks, and Sylvain smiles at Felix even as he fishes his phone out of his pocket.</p>
<p>"Not sure if this will help, since we're doing something more adult this year, but I'm <em>happy</em> to show you."</p>
<p>Annette frowns—why would that be unhelpful, she's just as adult as the two of them are. Felix scowls at the phone in Sylvain's hand before he can even extend it to Annette.</p>
<p>"Sylvain, if you try to convince her to get some slutty Halloween costume I'm going to throw your phone out of the window." Embarrassment rolls over Annette as she realizes her definition of 'adult' is very different from Sylvain's, <em>of course</em>, but she's not about to let that show! Instead she glares at Felix.</p>
<p>"I could totally pull off an <em>adult</em> <em>costume</em>, thank you <em>very</em> much, Felix Fraldarius!"</p>
<p>"Huh, I dunno about that, Annie," Sylvain says casually, and Annette turns her glare on him.</p>
<p>"What is <em>that</em> supposed to mean?" Sylvain leans back on the couch, arms behind his head, looking completely unbothered by her Very Piercing Glare. Jerk.</p>
<p>"Well, we were talking with Claude and Hilda about the party, and you've been so secretive about your Totally Awesome Costume," Annette gulps, "so we were guessing what it could be! And someone speculated you could be doing a sexy costume," Annette frowns at '<em>someone</em>', "but Lysithea was very firm about your lack of sex appeal."</p>
<p>"<em>Lysithea</em>?"</p>
<p>"Oh, yeah, she was there, too. She said you weren't sexy. Used your full name and everything."</p>
<p>Annette stares at him a moment, and then her face begins to morph into a look that has Felix groaning—<em>determination</em>.</p>
<p>"I'll show <em>her</em>! I can be <em>so</em> sexy!" With that declaration, she stands and begins gathering her things back into her bag.</p>
<p>"<em>Where</em> are you going?" Felix asks, looking the slightest bit worried, and Annette slings her bag over her shoulder with probably more force than necessary.</p>
<p>"To Mercie's!"</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>"And you're <em>sure</em> you don't want to do anything spooky?" Mercedes asks again, and Annette suppresses a shudder.</p>
<p>"Sorry, Mercie, but I really need to do something, um, sexy." If Mercie is allowed to do anything spooky, it will most certainly be <em>too</em> spooky.</p>
<p>"Well, I <em>could</em>—mm, no, I guess you're right." Mercie puts her finger to her chin and thinks for a moment. "Well," she says, long and drawn out, "how do you feel about vampires? Traditionally, there's a seduction element to any good vampire story." She smiles at Annette, who feels slightly less worried.</p>
<p>"I guess that could work, as long as it's not bloody."</p>
<p>"Oh no, of course not! Actually, I think I already have just the thing! Emile went through the most adorable Anne Rice phase when he was fourteen; I'll have to tailor it down to your measurements…" Mercedes trails off into thoughtful humming as she turns to find a tape measure and other sewing mysteries, and Annette accepts her fate.</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>Lysithea might have put up a token resistance to the party, expecting it to be an intolerable waste of time, but she is actually enjoying herself. The cakes Lorenz had presented her with can take some of the credit, but her friends can take the rest.</p>
<p>Lorenz had, indeed, gone all out in an incredible gown straight off the cover of a bodice ripper, with Claude in a suitably matching pirate costume. They even have a pose, Lorenz swooning off of Claude’s arm while he rakishly tips his ridiculously huge pirate hat, and not even Lysithea can hold back laughter at that. </p>
<p>There are a few other couple costumes in attendance, both intentional and accidental: Sylvain and Felix in outfits so skimpy it hurts Lysithea to look at them, which Sylvain had proclaimed as if obvious to be “A fox and a cat, Lys,” while Felix rolled his eyes; Hilda and Marianne as a devil and an angel, with so many Swarovski rhinestones shimmering on Marianne's costume that she'd fit right in on a runway; and Ingrid and Leonie, who had shown up separately as Gordon Ramsay and Guy Fieri and were now making an embarrassing love connection over a platter of hotwings.</p>
<p>The solo costumes seemed to be outnumbered: Lysithea in her basic witch costume that Hilda had insisted on embellishing until it was actually quite incredible; Ignatz with a truly impressive fake mustache, which to his disappointment only Sylvain had recognized as Salvador Dali; Dimitri in the biggest mouse costume Lysithea has ever seen, a large foam wedge of cheese around his middle; and Raphael won’t arrive until after Maya is done trick-or-treating, but Ignatz had shown her a photo of Raphael in an Olaf costume that had nearly made her aspirate cake.</p>
<p>Of course, this isn’t everyone who will be attending—not for a party hosted by <em>Hilda</em>—but it’s everyone who’s arrived so far, and Lysithea has been having a surprisingly good time.  </p>
<p>Lysithea has graciously bestowed a piece of her white chocolate matcha cake on Felix and is attempting to convince him to taste it when he glances towards the door and mutters, “Thank god.” Lysithea looks over and the first thing she sees is someone in a full plague doctor costume, which startles her enough for Felix to escape. Then the plague doctor moves and—</p>
<p>Lysithea has spent enough time at Edelgard’s apartment to have been roped into watching Interview With the Vampire alongside Hubert and Ferdinand more than once; she knows who Lestat is, and for a second she’s staring at a sexy redheaded lesbian Tom Cruise. Then she blinks and realizes she is staring at a sexy redheaded lesbian Annette Fantine Dominic.</p>
<p>Annette’s hair is pulled to one side and tied with a ribbon, curls falling down the front of her billowy white shirt and <em>very</em> well-tailored vest. Her pants are tucked into knee-high boots with heels that have given her a few extra inches, and she’s wearing a <em>cape</em>. Even at this distance Lysithea can tell Annette’s done her makeup more extravagantly than usual, dark liner and shadow around her eyes so that they stand out of her powder-pale face.</p>
<p>“Oh no,” Lysithea whispers, watching Annette look around the room for someone. “Oh <em>no</em>,” she groans as she realizes Annette is looking for <em>her</em>, about two seconds before Annette spots her and grins. The grin hits Lysithea like an arrow—Annette is <em>wearing vampire fang caps</em>, and it’s <em>sexy</em>. Lysithea’s whole <em>head</em> feels strangely hot as Annette begins crossing the room towards her, and somewhere in the scholar part of her brain Lysithea starts listing off traditional vampiric powers, <em>enthralling</em> at the top of the list.</p>
<p>The ‘thrall’ lasts up until Annette gets about two feet away and promptly trips on her own cape, shattering the illusion of some Otherworldly Annette and returning to the slightly clumsy and Very Human Annette that Lysithea knows and, <em>perhaps</em>, is <em>fond</em> of. As Annette stumbles forwards Lysithea catches her by the upper arms on reflex, and then she is treated to the full force of that grin as Annette looks up at her on the tail end of an embarrassed chuckle.</p>
<p>“Wow,” Annette says, “I just got here but it seems I’ve already <em>fallen</em> under your spell.” The pun is awful. She even punctuates it with a wink. Realistically, Lysithea should be rolling her eyes and groaning, but instead she’s thinking about the color of Annette’s eyes and the sound of her little giggle and the feel of her arms under Lysithea’s hands—she <em>knew</em> Annette went to the gym with Ingrid, but her arms don’t <em>look</em> as buff as they <em>feel</em>.</p>
<p>“Um,” she says, brilliantly. “Ah,” she tries again. Lysithea flexes her fingers—<em>yes</em>, definitely <em>still</em> solid muscle, good <em>lord</em>—and tries to look anywhere but Annette’s eyes, which are slowly growing curious.</p>
<p>“Are you ok?” Annette asks, and Lysithea tries to say ‘yes’ but just winds up squinting and making a noise like ‘eeah?’ that Annette must understand <em>isn’t</em> a ‘no’. She smiles, the kind of smile that heralds another terrible joke, but Lysithea is caught by the confident glint in her eyes. “Maybe your blood sugar is high from all these sweets; want me to check?"</p>
<p>This is not a very good joke—it's hardly even a good <em>line</em>—but Lysithea's eyes dart to Annette's mouth, the points of her vampire teeth in the plush of her bottom lip, and Lysithea imagines the press of pink lips to her throat, the light drag of fangs.</p>
<p>"Ok," Lysithea says, a bit squeakier than she would like, and Annette goes as red as Lysithea feels.</p>
<p>"<em>Huh</em>?" Annette is squeaky, too, which makes Lysithea feel better. She coughs and straightens up, pulls a hand from Annette's arm to flip her hair back over her shoulder and expose her neck. Annette makes her own unintelligible noise, something like 'hurgh?' as she blinks fast, glancing from Lysithea's throat to her face and back again.</p>
<p>"What's wrong?" Lysithea says, growing confident despite the warmth still in her cheeks. "Aren't you under my spell?" She smirks, and Annette goes from confused to absolutely bewildered to a dawning comprehension.</p>
<p>“Oh!” Annette looks confused again for a second. “I didn’t think you—ohhhh, <em>that’s</em> why Hilda—ah, nevermind! Would you saaaay,” Annette holds up a leather-gloved finger, “that I am <em>sexy</em>?” Lysithea groans; of course one of her bastard <em>friends</em> is responsible for <em>this</em>. </p>
<p>“<em>If</em> I say yes,” and Annette is already looking triumphant, her eyes growing bright, “are we going to make out in Hilda’s guest room or what?”</p>
<p>“<em>Oh</em>!” Lysithea feels gratified that Annette looks <em>extremely</em> excited. “Sure!” Annette pulls on Lysithea’s hand, of <em>course</em> she knows where Hilda’s guest bedroom is, and Lysithea stumbles after her.</p>
<p>“I didn’t say—oh, alright! Yes!” </p>
<p>+</p>
<p>"That," Claude says, slipping money into Felix's hand, "was painful."</p>
<p>"They're <em>nerds</em>," Sylvain says, before grunting when Felix elbows him for trying to slide his bet money into Felix's tiny costume bottoms.</p>
<p>Felix makes a mental note to collect Hilda’s bet money from Holst the next time he has dinner at Glenn’s place.</p>
<p>+</p>
<p>After the party Lysithea’s Instagram, usually used only for pictures of whatever fancy dessert she’s ordered, is updated with a picture of a very rumpled Lysithea and Annette; Lysithea is blushing, a hand over one side of her face, while Annette grins triumphant into the camera. Both of them are smeared with Lysithea’s purple witch lipstick.</p>
<p>The caption on the picture reads “I hereby retract my statement and affirm that Annette Fantine Dominic is ‘sexy’.</p>
<p>P.S. If there was a betting pool I demand a tithe of cake. I despise all of you.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The Faerghus Four's costumes <a href="https://twitter.com/lv2nt/status/1322360881360084992">were also inspired by Lois's art</a> and I unwittingly made another unplanned "couple's" costume out of Ratmitri and Plague Doctor Mercedes. </p>
<p>Also, I didn't put him in there because the Eagles show up fashionably late while Lyisthea is smearing her lipstick, but Hubert is Nosferatu like he has been every year since age 11. His Nosferatu is <em>perfect</em>. I just needed you to know that.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for reading!</p>
<p>Find me on twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/AceMorningStar">@AceMorningStar</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>